NYC: Sushi Yasaka

Yaki Salmon Avocado Donburi at Sushi Yasaka is seriously one of the best things in the UWS

I don't usually travel more than 2 miles in Manhattan to eat at the same restaurant twice, but I do it for Sushi Yasaka.

A year ago when I first visited Sushi Yasaka, I knew right away that it was one of the best kept secrets of the Upper West Side. I was so sad to have discovered it so late in the game (actually J discovered it), and just when I was moving away from the Upper West where I was in their delivery zone!

I love Sushi Yasaka for its no frills and oh-so-fresh sushi. Okay, the super affordable (for Manhattan) price point doesn't hurt either.

Fast forward to a year later, the once semi-undiscovered gem has actually gotten a lot of traction and every 2-3 months when I actually make the trek to the west side and come for dinner, I have noticed that it's been progressively more busy.

The once empty sushi joint now has one-hour wait times on Saturday nights. Good thing we made a reservation on OpenTable earlier in the day and were seated right away! I guess more and more people have finally discovered what I did a year ago, Sushi Yasaka seriously makes some fresh sushi.

Don't come here expecting fru-fru rolls. Fresh fish is what you come here for.

NYC: Botkier Sample Sale Report, May 21-23rd 2013

I'm a lady of my word. So, when I told you a few weeks ago (after going to the Rebecca Minkoff Sample Sale) that I was going to take advantage of living in New York and go to more sample sales, I followed through!

All for you readers, all for you.

My Botkier Haul: a Teal Lucy Crossbody for Mom & a lace-textured Valentina Luxe for $100 each

I've been coveting a Botiker bag ever since I first saw it on Lani at SugarRock Catwalk. And, if you follow fashion blogger Aimee Song at Song of Style, then you will know that she is the current face of Botkier and she actively promotes a Botkier bag in almost every other post.  And of course, the more I saw the Botkier Valentina purse, the more I wanted one for myself.

So when I saw that the Botkier Sample Sale was coming to Chelsea Market - a quick stroll from work - there was no avoiding it. I had to go check it out.

How's the line - Got there this morning right at 9:50 AM, 10 minutes before the sale started and there were about 20 other ladies who were also standing outside waiting to get in. As I stood outside the glass doors, I was able to quickly scope out what was available and where things were located. The opened the doors 5 minutes early and I walked right in. Easy peasy!

The store isn't too big but was very organized - all the current season's bags are all readily available in front of store, with older samples further back.

How discounted are the bags? As I mentioned, I've been wanting a Botkier bag for a while now, so I've been tracking the price of these bags for a while. Since I've subscribed to their newsletter Jan 2013, I've received one 20% off a Valentina bag offer and two 50% off the entire website offers in my inbox.

So, for me to really consider these a GREAT deal, I was hoping to see at least 50% off or more of these bags. Also, some of their bags are pretty cheap all over the web. The Amazon's Botiker page brought me to these two heavily discounted beauties:

• Black Metallic Valentina Shoulder Bag, currently selling for $98.51 (67% off the original price)
• Leopard Valentina Shoulder Bag, currently selling at $87.16 (75% off the original price) 

I actually saw the same Leopard Valentina bag selling for $100 at the sale, so it's even cheaper online if you can find it. Do some homework, make sure you're not falling into the trap of the sample sale!

NYC: Madison Square Eats

Spring is finally here and to celebrate, Madison Square Eats returns to Worth Square, right next to Madison Square Park! Mad. Sq. Eats is a month-long outdoors market that brings some of the most popular New York food vendors into one location.

If you haven't checked it out already (like I failed to when it first opened a few weeks ago), it's definitely worth a visit. Here, you can get a taste of Brooklyn favorites like Roberta's pizzas and Red Hook Lobster without leaving Manhattan!

It's opened 11AM-9PM daily, and in the middle of all the booths, there are quite a few tables set up for you to enjoy the warm(er) weather of May. I visited at 8PM last Tuesday and was able to get a table with a bit of table stalking.

To my surprise, there were actually quite a few vendors who sold beer and other alcoholic beverages, so instead of going to a bar, you can hang out here and people watch.

Hong Kong Street Cart

Green Chili Mac n Cheese with Pulled Pork Sandwich

NYC: The Raines Law Room

This summer, a few friends and I have decided to start something we call the Tuesday Night Drinking Club. Every Tuesday, we're going to try to get into some of the most popular speakeasies and bars around Manhattan, but without the terrible long wait times.

Last week, we went to The Raines Law Room, a speakeasy tucked away under an unassuming front door in Flatiron. The bar isn't hard to find, there is a clear sign outside that will let you know you're at the right place. As you walk through the door and black velvet curtains, you are immediately transported back to the Roaring 20s. I was fascinated by its art deco decore, it made me feel luxurious and like I just walked into the set of The Great Gatsby. The metal ceilings, gold tables and the velvet tufted sofas and chairs created such a great mood for me to unwind and enjoy a good cocktail.

Source: The Raines Law Room & Empire Guides

Reservations & Wait time

Raines Law Room only take reservations on Sunday - Tuesday, so perfect for the inaugural Tuesday Night Drinking Club event! We were able to get a reservation for 6 people at 8pm just a few days before by e-mailing them. If you're a planner and dislike ambiguity, this is a much better option than, say, PDT, another speakeasy in the city where you have to call a busy number at 3pm at least 50 times before you get through and can make a reservation.

Without a reservation, we saw a couple who was told by the hostess that it would be an hour wait on Tuesday at 8pm for a table for 2.

LA: Tsukemen Ramen at Tsujita LA

Enough of a distraction from NYC Eats, this is the 3rd post in my LA Food Tour, Spring 2013 series. Previous post includes Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong (the best Korean BBQ ever!) and Manhattan Beach Post.

Before Tsujita LA, I had never even heard of Tsukemen Ramen. But this dish has made me a believer and now it's a must-have everytime I go to LA.

Tsujita LA is known for their tsukemen ramen which is served only during lunch. Everyday at 11 AM, Tsujita opens their doors and within a few minutes, there will usually already be a waitlist.